MIT Creates Penny-Sized Ion Thrusters For Satellites

Paulo Lozano, the associate professor of Aeronautics at MIT just designed small penny-sized ion thrusters that shoot out ions when charged with electricity. Each blaster has around 500 microthrusters. Each microthruster will shoot out it’s own ion beam to help move the satellites. These thrusters provide a very little push (but you don’t need that much because there is no air resistance). Paulo Lozano believes they can be used for cubeseats – which are just rubix cube sized satellites that have no thrusters of their own. The thrusters haven’t been tested in space yet, but they have been tested in a vacuum with good results.